ABIDJAN – The president of the European Council on Thursday called on African heads of state to manage migration through joint work, and ensure the return of migrants in Libya to their home safely.

On Wednesday evening – at the end of the fifth European Union-Africa summit in Ivory Coast’s urban center Abidjan – Donald Tusk and other leaders from the EU, United Nations and African Union agreed to an evacuation plan that would allow migrants to be repatriated from Libya.

“Strengthening our dialogue on migration enhances our efforts,” Tusk said during the final press conference of the summit.

“Migration has a significant impact on both of our continents. So we have a joint responsibility to acknowledge it as an important part of our relationship, which requires that we act together,” he added

Earlier in the day, AU commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said the organization was to act immediately to repatriate 3,800 migrants currently in Libya.

These sub-Saharan African migrants were in Libya due to failed attempts at crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.

Additionally, the chairman of the African Union, Guinean President Alpha Conde, stated that Morocco – and other European and African countries – will charter planes to Libya for the safe return of the migrants.

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